Cooking With Oil vs. Cooking With Butter

Every foodie knows that everything (well, almost everything) tastes better with butter. On the other hand, almost no one puts olive oil over their popcorn or pancakes! On the third hand, imagine French fries with butter!

There are dozens of types of oil and several kinds of butter, and they are all used for making different meals.

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To find out which one goes best with what kind of food and which one is a better option for your health, read on.

Image source: healthiack.com

Cooking With Oil

Coconut oil, corn oil, sesame seed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil… are all just some of the products available on the market. Most of the oils in the supermarket are derived from some kind of seeds. Also, oils can be dry-pressed (a healthier option) or refined.

Health Risks of cooking with oil

Coconut oil; image source: pixabay.com

Oils with a low smoking point such as lard, peanut oil, rapeseed, etc., are particularly unhealthy for our health – when they burn, they release toxic chemicals and free radicals that can cause Alzheimer’s and several types of cancer!

Therefore, if you want to make crispy French fries or Buffalo wings, opt for olive, avocado, or coconut oil which all have high heat tolerance. In most cases, oils with a high smoking point are more likely refined.

Note that no matter which oil you choose, if you deep fry your food, you will be at higher risk of developing diabetes, and obesity.

Health Benefits of cooking with oil

Oilve oil; image source: pexels.com

Oils with a low smoking point can be used for salad dressings. These are mostly dry-pressed oils which are healthier alternative to refined oils, except if you want to use them for frying.

Extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oils, sesame oil, pure virgin oil, are rich in healthy fats that have a beneficial effect on our good cholesterol levels. These are only a few products that are healthier alternatives to sunflower and other vegetable oils that contain high levels of saturated fats.

Cooking With Butter

Butter; image source: pixabay.com

Believe it or not, butter has been used in meal prepping far longer than oil. It is derived from milk, and it can be unsalted, salted, and whipped. Which one will you use is a matter of personal preference. For most people there is one rule—they use oil for cooking and frying, and butter for baking. For making cremes, croissants, pancakes, pies, butter is a necessary ingredient.

However, you can make delicious fried eggs with butter.

Health Risks of cooking with butter

Consuming butter in excess can cause obesity. The general public, as well as health experts, are still divided when it comes to benefits of butter.

Some studies claim that it does not have a negative effect on our heart, while others say quite the opposite. It is also found that regular butter contains a hormone that can cause breast and prostate cancer, as well as acne!

Health Benefits of cooking with butter

Raw shea butter can be used for cooking too; image source: .com

According to some studies, grass-fed organic butter is a much healthier alternative to oils. Another research suggests that there is no connection between fats in butter and heart disease risk.

Combined with high protein diet, these fats can even help us lose weight. However, butter contains a lot of calories which means that the moderation is the key here. A study from 2011 even suggests that butter can even slow down teeth decay.

Recap

Image source: healthiack.com

Butter vs. oil, and which one to use for different types of meal prepping is a never-ending debate. In most cases, people use oil to fry and cook, while butter is reserved for baking. However, things are not that simple. Some oils, such as lard, peanut oil, and rapeseed have what we call a low smoking point.

That means when they burn they produce a toxic chemical that can even cause cancer. These oils are better to be used for salad dressings. Oils with a high smoking point are sunflower oils and olive oil, and they can be used for frying.

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When it comes to butter, always opt for grass-fed organic products. If you want to avoid weight problems, combine it with proteins and vegetables instead of carbs.

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